ON PRO FOOTBALL;Questions With Few Answers in Culver's Death

Those were the questions yesterday, over and over, among the people as they huddled in the lobby of the Mount Zion Baptist Church here, waiting, still searching, together, to find peace in the loss of Rodney and Karen Culver. So many hearts so heavy. Maybe their burden would be lightened by so many here who know the story, who know what was lost and that Rodney and Karen came from this community, this family.

So, where were you?

Some were at the market. Some were reflecting on a tough week of work. Others were sitting at the dining room table, fretting over bills. Still others were looking at their lives and wondering if they had the stamina to continue day after day.

All suddenly were stunned. Two Saturdays ago, ValuJet Flight 592 crashed into the Florida Everglades. One hundred and nineteen people perished. Among them were Rodney Culver and his wife, Karen.

They held a memorial service for both here yesterday and the resounding choir dressed in black sang wondrous songs such as "Give Thanks" and "I Will Give You Rest," and the ministers read from Psalm 24, about lifting up your heads, and eulogized both with the message "Sent by God."

Rodney Culver began his football career as a running back right here, at St. Martin DePorres High, and it ended with him being a member of the San Diego Chargers. He not only made that leap from the local neighborhood to prime time to the pros, but he accomplished it with grace. That is what Bobby Ross, the Chargers' head coach, remembered.

"He wanted every chance to count," said Ross, who also read from a letter from a Chargers' fan. "I never met Rodney Culver," Ross read. "I remember him coming in and running a play and giving his all and going back quietly to the sidelines. I wish I had known him. I never met Rodney Culver. But I will never forget him."

Those who knew him well -- including a cousin who remembered how as youths he and Rodney would take towels, drape them around their necks, tie them with clothespins and then try to fly around the room like their super heroes -- felt the same way. They will never forget him.

Raghib Ismail, the Raiders' receiver and a former teammate of Culver's at Notre Dame, agreed. And he challenged the Culver family to love one another and Rodney and Karen's children they will now raise, 2-year-old Briana and Jada, 1.

If you were around Culver at all, in the locker room or on the practice field, wherever, he always began each conversation by letting you know that he stood rooted in his Christianity. His Bible was always in his locker, but he did not try to force its contents on anyone. His actions spoke louder.

He could deftly read most situations. Once, before Super Bowl XXIX between the 49ers and the Chargers, I asked him about the mood of his team. He said it didn't look good, that guys appeared confident and full of bravado on the outside, but on the inside he could feel it wasn't that way at all. He was certainly right about that Super Bowl. The Chargers were shellshocked from the start.

He enjoyed the respect of his teammates. They listened to him. Maybe part of it was because he was so strong, so tough.

They likely listened, however, because Culver was often true. He was sincere. And he was right. One could seldom leave a conversation with him without gaining more wisdom. One could never leave his presence without gaining inspiration.

He had a "golden mind," Ross said, and a golden marriage. He was special too, Ross said, because his birthday was on the same day as Ross' -- Dec. 23.

And he was selfless. He took care of his younger brothers and sisters when he was growing up, and did the same thing as an adult, moving his family to Atlanta with him.

At Notre Dame, in 1990, he became the first African-American captain in the history of the football team and the first single captain in 20 years. He graduated with a degree in finance in three-and-a-half years.

But more than that, whenever Rodney Culver reached the end zone, he cradled the ball in one hand and pointed toward the heavens with the other. No trash-talking or dirty dancing. He would run to the sidelines and scream to his teammates: "God's going to get some ink today! God's going to get some pub!"

A very confident, sincere, loyal, giving, intelligent man.

Even if you did not know him, if you learned about him, you would never forget him.